


and that has made all the difference

by cosmicocean



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Angst, Force-Sensitive Finn, Multi, Parallel Universes, Some Humor, also a main character dies but in an alternate universe and not in the fic, in fact they're barely worth mentioning, only hinted at, the kylux isn't explicit whatsoever, the relationships are not the main part of this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2016-05-08
Packaged: 2018-06-06 02:39:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6734605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmicocean/pseuds/cosmicocean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finn has seen Phasma without her helmet only twice, once when she gained her squad and once when they graduated into being full Stormtroopers. He knows instantly that this is not the same Phasma he is used to.</p><p>Phasma and Finn from an alternate universe arrive at the Resistance base. Where they're from, things are somehow completely worse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Arrival

BB-8 wakes Finn up by shrieking loudly. It’s unusual enough that Finn screams back. 

“What?”

BB-8 makes noise too fast for him to understand.

“BB-8, I don’t fully understand binary yet, come on.”

If BB-8 breathed, Finn’s pretty sure they’d be sighing at this point. _Poe and General Organa_ , they beep slowly enough for it to be a little insulting. _Want you in detention block. ASAP. Brace yourself._

Finn frowns. “What does that mean?”

He’s _definitely_ sure BB-8’s sighing now. _Didn’t say._

Finn groans and tugs on a loose shirt over his sweatpants, snagging his jacket. “Lead the way.”

BB-8 goes a little faster than normal. He’s not surprised. BB-8 adores the General almost as much as they love Poe and Rey. A request from both is going to get them moving.

General Organa and Poe are both standing in front of the detention building, looking far more presentable than Finn at the early hour. He self consciously tugs on his jacket a little.

“What’s going on?” he asks. “Someone else you need me to question?”

Finn’s become the standard questioner on base. He knows everyone deserves a second chance better than most, and so when he talks to them it is with complete honesty and earnestness, and they are more willing to talk back to him.

“Yes.” General Organa is watching him slightly warily. “It’s someone you know.”

Finn’s stomach churns. “Stormtrooper?” he asks as casually as possible. “Cause, you know, I didn’t know everyone in the First Order, there were at _least_ twelve of us-“

“Finn,” Poe interrupts, face full of nothing but compassion. “It’s Phasma.”

Finn contemplates briefly throwing up.

“Huh,” he says himself say faintly. Poe reaches out to put a hand on Finn’s shoulder.

“She came to us in a stolen Lambda shuttle. She said she’ll only talk to you and we wanted you to think about doing so,” he says seriously. The look Organa shoots Finn suggests that it was more than just _think about_. “But if you can’t do it, you can’t do it.”

“No. Let me do this.” He balls up his fists and grits his teeth. “I can do this.”

Poe nods with a fond smile. “I believe in you.”

“Let’s go.”

 

The moment he sees her, he knows something is wrong.

She is not in her Stormtrooper armor, not even her cape. Instead she wears a long sleeved Imperial green almost jumpsuit look with a high collar and an elegant belt, a tough brown leather jacket thrown over it.Her blond hair is not shorn to the regulation buzzcut but in a rough undercut, but shaved clean on the sides with her thick and slightly curly blond hair on top shifted to the right a little. The bags under her eyes are set a little deeper and a scar runs over her lips. She has a bionic eye where her natural left one should have been, the iris glowing a bright and unnatural blue eerily. But the most startling difference may be how she sits on the wooden chair, the only thing in the room, neatly in the middle. Her shoulders are not stiff like regulation, hands clasped in her lap. Her sleeves are rolled up to her shoulders. Her face doesn’t hold the coldness he saw, but only the storm.

Finn has seen Phasma without her helmet only twice, once when she gained her squad and once when they graduated into being full Stormtroopers. He knows instantly that this is not the same Phasma he is used to.

He stands before her, a wall of reinforced glass between them.

Phasma raises her eyebrows. “You’re not who I was hoping for,” she says and her voice is different too, less stern and robotic, a little dryer, with a tilt of humor to it. Like a human being.

“They said you wanted to speak to me.” He can see the General and Poe watching him out of the corner of his eye.

“In a manner of speaking.” Her lips quirk. “Sit down, take a load off.”

Phasma is almost smiling and making jokes. Finn doesn’t pull up a chair so much as a negotiation tactic but as a necessary move from astonishment.

“What happened to you?” he asks. “You’re not the Phasma I know.”

She full-blown smiles. “Perceptive as ever.”

“Did you leave the First Order?”

“The First Order left _me_.” She bares her teeth in a vicious sort of smile. “And then I made it regret that decision.”

They’re quiet for a moment.

“Eye’s new.”

“Makes it easier to tell the difference between what’s real and what isn’t.”

Finn raises his eyebrows. “Am I real?”

Phasma tilts her head slightly. “Yes. You are. But you’re so…” She looks like she doesn’t know how to put it. “So much smaller.”

Finn bristles. “I’m not the one in a cage.”

“I didn’t mean it in an unfavorable way.” She looks almost wistful. “I assure you.”

Finn frowns. “What information can you give the Resistance?” He’s a little blunter with Phasma than he would be with anyone else, a little rougher.

“Commanding,” she says mildly. “Even here, you would have made a good general. It’s what Hux always wanted for you.”

Finn stands so abruptly the chair falls over. “Talk to me when you can tell me something useful,” he bites and turns to go.

Phasma sighs behind him in an almost bored fashion. “Luke Skywalker.” Finn stops. He sees Organa and Poe stiffen. “Have you brought him back to the base yet? I’m a little shaky on the time frame right now.”

Finn wills his voice to stay level. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“He and… his protege would have come to me if he was.” Phasma leans back in her chair slightly. “Let me know when he’s here. We need him.”

“And who’s we?”

Phasma snorts but doesn’t say anything. Finn leaves the block, General Organa and Poe trailing behind him.

“Something’s wrong with her.”

“Trap wrong?” Poe asks.

“No. Maybe. I don’t think so. It’s…” he hesitates. “Phasma drilled into us the rules and regulations. There’s no way she’d drop them that quickly. And she didn't have that scar or eye the last time I saw her.”

Organa nods. “I’ll post more guards outside her cell.”

“Don’t bother. It could just lead to more dead bodies.”

The General frowns. “Our guards are perfectly capable.”

“I know what she’s like, General. She’s there because she wants to be. If she gets out, she will take down anyone in her way.” Privately, Finn’s a little astounded that she has a scar on her face. He’d always pictured Phasma as untouchable, unbreakable. 

“How do you know that she wants to be here?”

Sometimes, he forgets that people in the Resistance didn’t grow up the way he did. “One of the first things you learn is how to break out of a cell with a simple chair. No food, no water, no anything. You don’t get to come out until you do. Phasma was the fastest one.”

Poe and the General look a little stunned. It is more than he can handle sometimes, the horror they feel at the way he used to live, so he manages a weak smile. “I think I’d like to go back to bed.”

He turns without a response and heads back to his room, gratefully passing out in his softer than regulation-that-was sheets.

 

BB-8 wakes him up again, although inadvertently this time, it seems.

“Hush,” Finn hears Poe hiss even though his head is buried under his pillows. “BB-8, you’ll wake him.”

BB-8 beeps something that sounds surly.

“Don’t be a child.”

“They can be a child,” Finn mumbles. “If they’re a child with volume control.”

He can hear the smile in Poe’s voice. “No such thing.”

Finn turns over and yawns. Poe’s standing in the same clothes he saw him in this morning, hands in pockets. “You can sit down. Unless something happened?”

“No.” Poe sits cross legged on the edge of his bed. “I’m sorry we upset you with our reaction.”

Finn rubs at his eyes. “It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not.” Poe looks serious. “Look, we’re not going to be able to help being a little shocked at the way you were treated in the First Order. Animals are handled kinder. But it’s obvious that our discomfort makes you feel worse. So we’ll do our best to keep on moving when you tell us these things.”

Finn smiles. “Thank you.” He reaches out and pats Poe on the knee.

Poe grins back. “You got it, buddy.”

Finn leaves his hand on Poe’s knee for a moment and opens his mouth to say something, he isn’t sure what, when something lurches in his stomach. He freezes. 

“Finn?”

“Something’s wrong.” He rolls out of bed and grabs his blaster right as alarms start to sound.

“Someone broke into the detention block,” Poe says, jumping to his feet as well. “How did you know?”

Finn doesn’t know. He doesn’t have the time to figure it out. He just bolts and charges for the detention block. He’s met by several Resistance members helmed by General Organa, holding an impressively sized blaster of her own.

“Nice,” Finn says appreciatively, the munitions expert in him finding a sliver of time to appreciate it.

“She’s as dangerous as you say she is, we need to go get her with our best.” The General primes it. “Lead the way, Finn.”

Finn slips into the detention block, blaster raised, to see a figure standing in front of the partition separating Phasma from her cell and the block. The man is wearing a heavy brown coat, a large messenger bag of the same color slung on a strap across his shoulder. He’s also got a black cowled long sleeve shirt underneath, a hood obscuring his face. His blaster is held loosely at his side.

“Halt!” Finn says loudly, Stormtrooper command leaking back in. “Drop your weapon and stand away from the prisoner!”

Phasma smirks slightly as the figure turns towards him in vague surprise. They stand frozen for a moment.

Then the man sighs, a raspy grating sound.

“You think this is hilarious, don’t you?” he asks Phasma hoarsely. His voice is deep and gravelly but still familiar in a way Finn can’t pinpoint.

Phasma grins. There’s no violence in it, only genuine amusement. It puts Finn off a little. “Extraordinarily.”

“Drop your weapon,” Finn repeats, leveling his blaster a little more. “I will fire on you.”

“I know.” The figure turns his head slightly towards Phasma. “I’m unhappy with you.”

“Are you ever not?”

“Good point.” He crouches down and puts his blaster on the ground.

“Give your name.”

He snorts. He raises his hands and tugs his cowl down. There’s a ripple of stunned whispers that pass through the fighters assembled behind him. Perhaps they are not whispers, perhaps they are loud, but Finn hears them only as a buzz.

The man has a scar slashed running from just above his right eyebrow to halfway through the same cheek. It’s also the same eye socket that holds a glowing blue bionic eye. He has a little stubble and he has shorn his hair completely down. He looks older and wearier.

It is, however, undeniably Finn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phasma's jumpsuit: http://hydrogen-mag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BAL5-682x1024.jpg
> 
> Phasma's jacket: http://www.higgsleathers.co.uk/designer_jackets/kazzi%20womens%20brown%20leather%20designer%20jackets%209.jpg
> 
> Phasma's hair: http://www.short-haircut.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Mohawk-Short-Punk-Hair.jpg
> 
> Alternate Finn's bag: http://i00.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v0/32214934326_1/Vintage-New-2014-fashion-Genuine-leather-military-canvas-messenger-bag-Men-leather-shoulder-bag-for-men.jpg
> 
> Alternate Finn's coat (brown instead of green): http://g04.a.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1WQIFJpXXXXbMXXXXq6xXFXXX0/Korean-slim-fit-Casual-font-b-mens-b-font-long-army-font-b-green-b-font.jpg
> 
> Alternate Finn's shirt (black instead of green): http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/141125113964-0-1/s-l1000.jpg


	2. Explanation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A story is told.

General Organa swears in Alderaanian from behind him. 

“Yeah.” The other Finn nods in agreement. “That about sums it up.”

“What,” Poe says, pushing forwards to stand next to Finn. “The _hell._ ”

Other Finn looks startled. “Poe.”

Poe regards Other Finn warily. “Buddy,” he mutters to Finn. “Was there maybe a secret cloning program we were unaware of?”

“Not that I know of.”

“I’m not a clone.” Other Finn takes a step forwards. The Resistance officers raise their blasters further but Finn lifts a hand to calm them.

“Easy.”

Other Finn doesn’t move again. “I’m you. Up to a point, anyway.”

Finn narrows his eyes. “Prove it.”

Other Finn tilts his head. “When we were twelve standard operating years,” he says calmly. “We had to fight and kill a small rancor. Your blow didn’t kill it right away, so you sat with it and stroked its head and hummed a tune until it died. You told no one.”

“Yeah,” he whispers. “It was-“

“The Anthem of the First Order,” they say unanimously.

“The only song we knew,” Other Finn completes. “Yes.”

Finn swallows and lowers his blaster. He ignores Poe trying to pull him back as he walks up to Other Finn.

“Are you from the future?” he whispers.

“No. I’m from somewhere that was almost exactly here.” Other Finn gestures at Phasma, who’s watching the whole exchange with inscrutable eyes. “Do you think you could release her? She gets cranky if she’s in a holding cell for longer than a standard day.”

“Kriff off.”

“You’re working with _her?_ ”

The traces of amusement vanish from Other Finn’s face. “A lot’s different where I come from. Please?”

Finn looks at the General.

“Everyone who isn’t Finn or Poe, clear out,” she orders. Everyone immediately obeys. She gestures to Other Finn. “Sit down and explain to us what’s happening.”

Other Finn nods. “Seems fair.” He leans his back against the glass. Phasma sits up so on the other side she’s on his left. He glances at her. 

“I’m guessing you’re not hurt, Leashai?”

_Leashai._ Finn had always known logically that Phasma had a first name, but part of him had always thought that she was simply Captain. This other version of him not only knows it, but speaks it so freely and casually.

“I’ve told you time and again that Resistance holding techniques were weak,” she says in a monotone. Other Finn rolls his eyes.

“Explain yourself,” Finn says firmly. “Who the hell are you?”

“I told you. I’m you. I’m just you from another universe.”

Poe’s eyes narrow. “Banthashit. Pardon me, General.”

General Organa shakes her head. “If you think I haven’t heard that and worse… how can you be from another universe?”

“It’s a long story.”

Her tone turns decidedly frosty. “We have time.”

“Did you _really_ think that would work as an explanation, Rebirth?” Phasma drawls. Other Finn gives her a look.

“Rebirth?” Poe asks.

Other Finn turns his full attention to him. “It’s my code name in the Insurgency,” he says. “I’m Rebirth. Leashai is Resurrection. She has more of a tendency to refer to me by my codename than I do hers.”

“It’ll make things easier differentiating, you must admit.” Phasma’s taken to flicking little bits of dirt on the floor. “This floor is so dirty it’s like you cleaned it when you were on sanitation at Starkiller.”

“The Insurgency?” General Organa asks. “Is that your version of the Resistance where you come from?”

Rebirth’s face darkens. “No,” he says. “We had the Resistance. Now we have the Insurgency.”

Poe looks horrified. “Do we lose?”

“I don’t know about here. Your events went differently.” Rebirth leans forwards. “We’ve been here about a week. From what we’ve discerned, the difference is that Han Solo died on Starkiller Base.”

General Organa twitches.

“He didn’t where you come from?”

“Grievously wounded. But he made it back to base. Smoke was displeased with both Ren and Hux so he attacked Ren and banished Hux.”

“Did Ren survive?” The General whispers. Rebirth turns compassionate eyes on her.

“He did,” he answers. “We didn’t know for another year. But his fortune was that Snoke left him to die on the same planet that he banished Hux. Hux took care of him.”

“Hux and Ren hate each other,” Finn murmurs.

“They did. But they had both been cast out of their lives. Braedon decided that they had no choice but to stick together.” Rebirth shrugs. “They resolved their differences. They’re the best fighting team the Insurgency has now.”

“You’ve allied with Ren?” Finn demands, appalled. He regrets it the second he sees General Organa flinch again. “Ma’am-“

“No, it’s a fair question.” She raises her eyebrows. “Why has he joined you?”

“Ben realized his mistakes. So did Braedon. They’re with us now. That’s all that matters.”

There’s something almost frightening about Rebirth using Hux’s first name in the same way as it is with Phasma’s.

“Ben’s on the side of the light?” General Organa looks hopeful.

“Complicated.” Rebirth considers it. “He’s always going to have that darkness in him. It’s not the kind of thing you lose. But he’s more gray than black, and on his good days more light than dark. Braedon keeps him in check. We have a common enemy. That’s what matters.”

“Snoke?” Poe asks. Rebirth’s face clouds.

“Worse.” He clears his throat. “The New Order calls her Lady Vindicta. She was strong in the Force when people close to her were killed by Snoke. She turned dark. Darker than him, and more powerful. She killed him and took over the Order. She remolded it and took total control of the Core Planets. We’re fighting her now.”

Phasma has been silent as she watches them speak. “We had sources leading us to places strong in the Force. Maybe find something to help us take control back. We went to one in the Erevean System. It turns out the walls of the universes are thin there. We came through by accident.”

“We wanted Luke to help us find our way home.” Rebirth’s face is intent. “We need to get back to our people. They need us.”

“Rebirth’s in charge of the Insurgency.” There’s a tinge of pride to Phasma’s voice. Finn blinks, dazed by all the information but somehow most surprised by this.

“Really?”

Rebirth shrugs. “They needed a person to rally around. It turned out to be me. And then Leashai, and then Ben and Braedon.”

“He’s the one who’s ultimately in charge, though.” Phasma’s pleased look intensified. “We told you you’d be a good leader.”

Rebirth reacts nowhere near as violently as Finn had, simply shaking his head before returning attention to General Organa. “Ben and Braedon can manage in our stead. But we need to get back. If we’re gone too long, Vindicta will begin to get suspicious and start coming after the Insurgency faster.”

“She’s not now?” Poe queries. Rebirth’s face contorts into a bitter, snarling smirk, something ugly that makes Finn’s gut twist to see on his face.

“She’s wary,” he answers, viciously pleased. “We frighten her.”

Phasma grins just as savagely. “We do at that.”

“Who’s dead?” Finn asks quietly. Rebirth’s eyes snap to his.

“What?”

“Who’s dead? Poe has to be, from the way you looked at him when you saw him.” Finn can’t imagine losing Poe now, can’t imagine what that would feel like, but he imagines finding out he wasn’t would look a lot like the expression on Rebirth’s face when he noticed he was there. “So who else?”

Poe is looking at him strangely. Finn ignores him, holding Rebirth’s gaze.

“Poe,” Rebirth says, deceptively calm. Finn recognizes that tone. That’s the tone he takes when he’s trying to hide pain. “The General. Solo. Luke. BB-8. At least half of the current Resistance members. Pava and Wexley made it. Wexley commands ground troops. Can’t fly anymore after Vindicta got in his head. Good at combat work, though. Pava’s in charge of aerial combat. Damn good at it.”

Poe looks shaken. Finn swallows it.

“What about Rey?”

Rebirth’s face shuts down.

“Very much so.”

Finn nods shakily. “Good to know.”

“What happened to your voice?” Poe asks quietly. 

“Vindicta crushed my windpipe,” he says simply. “Never fully recovered.”

“Oh.”

“The eyes,” General Organa murmurs. “What about the eyes?”

“A break of good fortune.” Phasma lounges a little. “When Rebirth and I went after Vindicta, she caught him in the eye with her saber and it had to be replaced. We discovered that he could see through her Force illusions with it, so I did the same.”

“She took your eye?”

“My eye, my voice for a while.” He holds up his right arm. “Almost all of my arm.” He wiggles the fingers. “Prosthetics are a magical thing.”

“We _need_ Skywalker,” Phasma presses on. “We won’t leave our people behind to face Vindicta alone.”

General Organa nods. “We’ll get in touch with him as soon as possible. In the meantime, I’m afraid I _will_ have to put you in the cells for safety.”

Phasma seems unconcerned. “It’s what I would do.”

“Can you put me in the cell across from hers?” Rebirth asks. “I’d like to see her face when I irritate her.”

General Organa does smile then, albeit very slightly. “I think that could be arranged. I’ll need to ask for your weapons.”

Rebirth nods. He drops his blaster and then rummages around in his bag, pulling something out that makes everyone’s eyes widen.

“That’s my brother’s lightsaber,” The General says.

“It was Luke’s,” Rebirth agrees. “And then it was Rey’s. And then it was mine.” He holds it out to General Organa. “Seems like it should go to you.”

The General takes it. Her hands do not shake.

“I want to let you know that I have a communicator on me,” he says. “But I need that. If Ben or Braedon find a way to get in touch with us, I need to be able to talk to them.”

“That’s acceptable to me.”

“Thank you for your understanding.” Rebirth bows courteously while gesturing to the door of the opposite cell. “I await your lead.”


	3. Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Questions are asked.

Finn’s lying facedown in his bed when Poe enters.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asks.

“No,” Finn mumbles.

“Okay.” 

Pause.

“Can I join you?”

Finn looks up. Poe looks drained, exhausted.

“Hop in.” He puts his face back down and scuffles to the side. Poe flops down next to him, face buried in the pillow Finn previously had his in.

“Thanks,” he says, voice a little muffled.

“No problem.”

They’re silent for a long time.

“Did you ask them how you died?” Finn asks, turning his head. Poe mirrors his action.

“No. I don’t want to know.”

“That’s probably smart. I’ll ask them before they go.”

Poe’s brow furrows. “Why?”

“Because I’ll need to know if I can stop it.”

Poe stares at him for a moment. Then he turns his head back into the pillow. Finn does the same. Poe’s hand finds Finn’s and Finn squeezes. They lie like that for some time.

 

Rebirth is asleep when Finn comes in. He looks peaceful. 

“That’s the only time he looks calm.”

Finn turns to see Phasma, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor.

“I, however, have been told that when I sleep I resemble a feral marsh dog.”

Finn sits in the hall. “Unsurprising. You’re sleeping in shifts, right?”

Phasma grins. “Rebirth and I haven’t slept at the same time since I joined the Resistance and then the Insurgency.”

“We let you in first?”

“You didn’t want to. Remotely.”

“Astounding.”

“General Organa gave me a chance. She persuaded you on the grounds I had valuable information and I wanted to change, and that they’d done the same for you.” She smiles nostalgically. “I miss her, sometimes. She was a hard woman but she gave a good second chance.”

Finn can’t help but nod in agreement.

“They kicked you out for what happened on Starkiller, right?”

“Treason under duress is still treason in the First Order.”

“I remember.” No excuses. 

“That should have happened here, too. At about this time I will have escaped and am exploring the galaxy. And freedom.”

“How did you escape?”

A wicked spark appears in her eyes. “Impressively.”

Finn can’t help it. He laughs. 

“Don’t regale us with that story.” Finn looks over his shoulder to see Rebirth, eyes open from where he’s curled on the floor. “I swear you add an extra dragon for every retelling.”

Phasma smiles at him. The smile is astoundingly gentle, deeply caring in a way that astounds Finn. “There’s nothing wrong with that. How did you sleep?”

“Well, I didn’t have a whole group of people waking me up with constant needs and requests for information.”

“But you had the knowledge that you can’t help your people so… terribly?”

“Terribly.” He sits up and looks at Finn. “Any news?”

“Skywalker and Rey are coming back.”

“Ah. That’s. That’ll be.” He traces a pattern on the floor with his finger. “That’ll be good.”

“Do you want to see her right off? Or do you want to wait?” Finn can’t imagine what it would be like to lose Rey. He can’t begin to even _think_ about what it would be like to lose her and then see a version of Rey that was her, but not her at the same time.

“I… I don’t know. It doesn’t matter, I guess.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah. I’m sure.”

“Okay.” He wonders if there’s a softer way to put the question, then decides against it. “How did Poe die?”

Both are quiet.

“Poe, Leashai, and I went up against Vindicta,” Rebirth says eventually. “I lost my arm and my eye. Poe lost his life.”

“Oh.” Finn looks at Phasma, who must anticipate the question coming.

“Poe Dameron was a kind man,” she tells him calmly. “It took a long time for him to cotton to me due to Rebirth’s time in the First Order, and I was pleased by his loyalty to you very much. He was strong and smart and brave. Poe lost his life. Rebirth lost limbs. I lost a friend.”

“Can I prevent it?”

“I don’t know.” Rebirth looks suddenly so much older and so much wearier. “I hope so.”

“Kylo Ren’s still in power here.” It’s not _pity_ that Phasma’s looking at Finn with, not quite. It’s almost… compassion. “So is Hux. This was not happening by this time in our universe. This makes it extremely unlikely that Vindicta could rise to fill their seats, and unlikely that Dameron would die by her hand.”

Finn nods slowly. “That’s good to know. Um.” He clears his throat. “Thank you.”

Phasma smiles slightly. “Did it burn your throat a little, thanking me?”

“I’m trying.” 

“I know. Don’t worry. It took Rebirth a while too.” 

“To be fair,” Rebirth answers, stretching languidly. “You were indeed a horrendous bitch in the First Order _._ ”

“I wasn’t a _horrendous_ bitch,” Phasma corrects. “I was an upright example of _rule following_ bitch.”

Rebirth grins. “Don’t worry. To us stormtroopers it was the same difference.”

Finn can’t help a little laugh at that. “Kind of true.”

“Fuck _both_ of you.”

Finn and Rebirth laugh at the same time.

Someone clears their throat and Finn turns around. Poe is hovering awkwardly by the entrance.

“Oh.” Rebirth straightens slightly. “Hi, Poe.”

Phasma rolling her eyes does not escape Finn’s notice.

Poe awkwardly waves. “Hi.”

Finn stands. “Is something wrong?”

“No. Just, uh. Thought I’d see what you were up to.”

“He doesn't trust me,” Phasma says. “Wants to make sure I didn’t get you with my laser eyes.”

“Do you have laser eyes now, Leashai?”

“Hush, _they_ don’t know that.”

“You’re right,” Poe answers calmly. “I don’t trust you.”

“You’ve got no reason to.” Phasma looks unconcerned. “Don’t worry. We’ll get along someday.”

Poe frowns. Finn grabs Poe’s elbow. 

“I’d better go see if the General wants anything. Poe, why don’t you come with me?”

“Hang on.” Rebirth is staring at Finn intensely. “I want to ask you something.”

Finn pauses. “What is it?”

“Did you feel it when I arrived?”

He looks up and stares. It’s all Rebirth needs to nod. “You’ve been wondering. Don't

worry. Me as well. It makes sense that you would be, too.”

He freezes. He knows exactly what Rebirth means. It’s what he wondered himself.

“He would be what?” Poe asks, voice less aggressive. Evidently he trusts Rebirth more.

Rebirth is looking at Finn like he’s fully aware of what’s going through his mind. Hell, depending on what his own experiences have been, he probably is. “He knows.”

Finn swallows and nods. “Thank you for confirmation.”

“You’re welcome.” Rebirth lies back down. “You can take Poe away so he and Phasma don't try and kill each other now.”

Finn walks quickly out of the containment block, even forgetting to bring Poe with him, Poe catching up right as Finn sits heavily on the ground, looking up.

“What did he mean?” Poe asks, sitting next to Finn.

“He means I’m Force sensitive.” Finn gazes at the clean clear blue of the D’Qar sky. “I thought I might be. I was working up the nerve to talk to General Organa about it. I thought she might know.”

Poe rests his chin on his knees. “Do you want to be a Jedi?”

“I…” Finn hesitates. “It’ll be helpful.”

“Your life doesn’t need to revolve around what makes you helpful, Finn. Not anymore.”

Finn swallows. “I don’t want to,” he says. “I think… I think it’s terrific what Rey’s doing. But it’s not for me. I just want to be. I don’t want to be Padawan Finn or Jedi Finn. Jedi are supposed to be in control of their destiny and that’s… appealing. But I’m not like that. Not right now, anyway. I kind of want to be Finn for a while. Then see what happens.” Finn glances at Poe. “You think Rey or Skywalker or the General or anyone’ll push me into being one?”

Poe snorts. “I think General Organa’ll gloat to her brother that she got you first, if memory about their relationship serves correctly.” Finn grins a little and looks down. “Rey’s gonna stand by you no matter what you do. And if Skywalker pushes you, well…” Poe shrugs. “Fuck him.”

“ _Poe,_ ” Finn says, appalled.

“It’s true! Nobody gets to push you on what you want to do and who you want to be. And if they try and make you, then I’ll fight them for you, too.”

Finn smiles at the sky and bumps Poe’s shoulder with his own. They say nothing, watching the clouds go past.


	4. Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two people come back, and a truth is told.

Rey, Skywalker, Chewbacca, and R2-D2 get back the next morning. Rey ignores the Resistance members chattering in excitement, seeking Finn out and wrapping him in a hug bigger and warmer than Finn could have imagined. 

“Hi,” she whispers.

“Hi,” he whispers back. 

“I’m sorry everything is so weird.”

He snorts. “Me too.”

Skywalker is holding his sister tightly. Chewbacca walks up to Finn and puts both his hands on top of his head. Finn grins. “Hi, Chewie.”

Chewbacca hums something that sounds fond. Skywalker approaches him, surreptitiously wiping his eyes. Finn pretends not to notice.

“You must be Finn.”

“Yes, sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Luke’s fine.” He rustles in his robes slightly. “I don’t like all this ‘master’ and ‘Skywalker’ and ‘sir’ nonsense.”

Rey rolls her eyes. “He really doesn’t.”

Luke spares Rey a fondly exasperated look. Finn remembers Rey telling him about what Kylo Ren said, how Han Solo was _the father she never had_ and wonders if she’s found a new one in Luke. Luke’s twinkle in his eye dims slightly with his next question but it doesn’t fade. He doesn’t seem like the type of person who ever entirely loses it. “Do you think we could talk to your new acquaintances?”

Finn swallows. Rey grips his hand tight. “Sure.”

Luke smiles kindly. “Thank you.”

 

Rebirth and Phasma clearly heard the arrival of the _Falcon_ , prompting them to look unsurprised as Poe, General Organa, Luke, Rey, and Finn come into the detention block. Rebirth straightens slightly when he sees them. Phasma’s face shuts down, becoming the most inscrutable he’s seen it since he arrived. It brings back echoes of when she was his Captain, the Phasma he knows, and is oddly comforting.

“You’re not from here,” Luke says immediately. “Either of you.” Luke turns to the General. “Did you feel it?”

She nods slightly. “I wanted to make sure with you.”

Luke turns back. “My sister says you like to be called Rebirth and Leashai?”

“Rebirth calls me Leashai.”

Luke inclines his head. “I’m very sorry. What would you like me to call you?”

Phasma hesitates. “You were very kind to me once,” she says, slightly stilted. “You are a man who believes in second chances. You could also call me Leashai. If you so wished.”

Luke smiles. “Thanks for clearing it up for me.” 

“Are you okay?” Rey blurts out, moving up to the glass where Rebirth is behind. Rebirth’s eyes widen at the sight of her, stepping forwards to put his hand on the glass. Rey mirrors the action without hesitation. “You weren’t hurt or anything on your way here, were you?”

“No,” he whispers. He clears his throat a little and smiles a trembling smile. “Hi, Rey. Missed you.” 

“Hi, Finn.” She smiles back just as shakily. “You need to shave.”

Rebirth laughs softly, pressing his forehead to the glass and pushing his hand against it slightly like maybe if he applies the right amount of pressure his hand could pass through the barrier and touch Rey’s. “I know.”

Poe glances at Finn, as if to see how he’s handling this. Finn doesn’t mind the gentleness that Rey’s displaying towards this other Finn or the look on Rebirth’s face like he’s found a priceless treasure. If he could find another Rey after losing one, he imagines he would look just the same.

(it’s why he hasn’t said anything about the way Rebirth gazes at Poe when he thinks no one is looking)

Rey turns to Phasma. “I’m sorry. I only know stories of what Finn’s told me.” Her tone is polite but wary. Phasma answers with a flinty smirk.

“Nothing good, I assume.”

“I’m afraid not.”

“It’s all right. I didn’t really get to know you that well. You didn’t like me very much.” She shrugs. “You seemed nice, though, at times.”

“Oh.”

“How do we get back?” Rebirth asks seriously. “I need to go home to my people. They need me.”

Luke purses his lips. “I’ve been thinking on it,” he says. “I have some options I’m willing to discuss with you two and my sister.”

“Can we do it in fresh air?” Phasma asks. “I’m considering busting out of here.”

“She’ll do it, too,” Rebirth confirms. “I once saw her bust out of a New Republic Order cell with her cape.”

“I liked that cape,” she murmurs mournfully. Rebirth rolls his eyes.

“I’ve heard.”

“You’re the one who got it riddled with blaster fire, you get to hear about it as often as I want to talk about it.”

Luke tilts his head as he watches them bicker. “Curious,” he says mildly. “Yes, I think if it’s all right with my sister, you two could be let out.” He looks at General Organa, who nods.

“If you think they’re not a threat.”

“Not to us.”

The General keys in a code next to Phasma, then Rebirth’s cells and the glass slides across. Rey immediately lunges at Rebirth and pulls him into a hug. Rebirth’s arms fly up then clutch at her tightly.

“Ugh,” Phasma mutters. “ _Hugging._ Spectacles like this are why we _banned_ this sort of thing in the First Order, you know.”

“Shut up, Leashai,” Rebirth mumbles from where his face is pressed into Rey’s shoulder. “This from the woman who hugged me for a minute straight when she thought I was dead after the Coruscant reconnaissance.”

Phasma sniffs. “A moment of sentiment and weakness, nothing more.”

“Of course.” Rebirth pulls back from Rey, who sees the curious look on his face.

“You looked like you needed a hug,” she says simply.

“I did. Thank you.” Rebirth awkwardly looks at Poe, like he’s deciding whether or not to hug him, then settles on putting a hand on his shoulder. “Hi, Poe.”

Poe grins, a little hesitant but honest. “Hey, buddy.”

Phasma makes a face at Rebirth, who sighs. “I’m almost done with the emotions.”

“What a relief.”

Rebirth smiles gratefully at Luke. “It’s good to see you again, Luke.”

“No honorifics,” Luke observes. “You met me in your universe.”

“You trained me.”

“Way to let the mynock out of the bag on that one,” Phasma says as Rey whips her head to look at Finn.

“You _are_ ,” she whispers. “I thought you were, but I didn’t…” her voice trails off and Finn’s terrified for a moment that she’s going to assume he’s going to be a Jedi with her, that he’s going to have to figure out how to tell her that he doesn’t want any part of that world.

“It’s going to make you a _way_ better pilot,” she says. “Not me good, obviously. No one’s me good.” Her words are serious but her eyes dance in a way that seem to say _it’s okay. I understand. Don’t worry about it._

“Hey,” Poe says, slightly miffed, as a warm flame blossoms in Finn’s chest. “ _I_ am. _Me._ I trained places other than a Jakku junkyard.”

Rey snorts. “Please. Still me.”

Finn kisses Rey on the cheek. “I missed you.”

Rey chuckles. “I missed you too.”

Rebirth says nothing, but watches the two of them, face unreadable. 

 

Finn wonders how Rey died.

Rebirth keeps watching Rey like she’s a miracle and damnation all at once. Like he can’t believe she’s here in so many different ways and Finn can’t begin to understand any of them. He wants to ask but he’s already asked about Poe and he’s not sure he can handle both.

Rey’s noticed, too. She quietly catches Finn’s sleeve while Rebirth, Phasma, Luke, General Organa, and Poe are sitting at a table in the mess.

“You people can still get your hands on Triean oranges,” Finn hears Rebirth says fervently, peeling one with the look on his face of a man who’s having a religious experience. “I don’t think you understand how amazing that is.”

“Finn,” she says quietly. “There’s something they’re not telling us.”

“I know. It’s got to be about what happened to you.”

“Exactly.” Rey side-eyes Finn. “How likely is it that they’ll tell me the truth if I ask them upfront about what happened?”

Finn shrugs. “They were honest with me about what happened to Poe. But Rebirth’s looking at you different than he looks at him.”

Rey looks like she tries to valiantly muffle a grin but she doesn’t try very hard. “I’d hope so.”

Finn raises a hand to his mouth to muffle his snort.

“Are you going to talk to Poe about that, by the way?” she asks. “Any time soon?”

“After all this with the two of them is wrapped up. There’s too much going on right now to add this in with the mix. Besides…”

Poe sees him and Rey looking at him and beams wide, waving at Finn like Finn hung the sun that shines over D’Qar. Finn grins and waves back.

“I think he knows.”

Rey shakes her head a little like she’s trying to hide her fond smile. “You two are baffling.”

 

“I think we should go back to the Erevean system,” Luke says to them. He, Chewbacca, Rey, General Organa, Poe, Finn, Rebirth, and Phasma are assembled in the main tactical room. Luke pulls up a hologram of the system. It looks like a largely marshy sort of planet. “The walls are probably still thin there, too. We might be able to get you back through there.”

Rebirth nods. “Smart.”

“Do you think Ren has any idea of it?” Poe asks Rebirth. “Is that something we’ll have to worry about?”

Rebirth shakes his head. “Ben didn’t know about it. Ren probably won’t either.”

Finn feels the tingle in the air from Rey, the small wave of anger at the mention of Kylo Ren like a soft current of electricity on his skin.

“Rey,” Luke admonishes gently. 

“Sorry, Luke,” she mumbles.

“I know it’s hard, but you have to suppress your anger.”

“ _No._ ”

They all look at Rebirth, who’s changed on a dime. His entire body is tense, a curious fire blazing in his eyes.

“You can’t tell her to do that,” he says, teeth gritted slightly. “Let her feel her anger. She can’t drown in it. But she can’t suppress it either.”

Luke frowns slightly. “I know what’s best for my Padawan.”

“Not in this case.”

“Careful, Finn,” Phasma says softly. Finn starts at the use of his real name and not the codename.

“I’m not going to be careful here,” Rebirth snarls. “Not about this.”

“And _why_ , exactly, shouldn’t I be telling her to suppress her anger?”

Rebirth slams his palm down on the holotable, making the image of the Erevean system glitch slightly.

_“Because_ ,” he hisses. “ _That’s how she becomes Vindicta._ ”


	5. Revelations and Reunions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a tale told of things past far away, and major players are reunited once more.

Everyone’s gone abruptly silent. Finn’s stomach feels like it might have relocated to the soles of his feet. Rey’s gone an eerie shade of white.

“I thought,” Phasma murmurs. “We weren’t going to bring that up.”

Rebirth is shaking slightly. “I changed my mind.”

“I’m Lady Vindicta?” Rey asks in a tiny voice. Rebirth swallows and shakes his head. 

“No. Not you. You’re Rey. That’s who you are. Our Rey. She. She became that.”

“I think-“ General Organa clears her throat. “That you have a lot to tell us.”

Rebirth’s hands are clenched into fists. Phasma reaches over and puts her hand on his shoulder. Rebirth reaches up and covers it with his own. He takes a deep breath.

“That was Luke’s teaching style,” he says in a low voice that somehow seems loud in the quiet. “Suppress your anger. Pretend it doesn’t exist. And Rey had such a hard time with that. She was so angry about everything. She was so mad about being left on Jakku, about what Kylo Ren had done to Solo and I, about the state of everything. And she kept shoving it down and down and down. It made her feel sick and guilty and vulnerable all the time.

“Poe, Rey, Leashai, and I were sent to Snoke’s headquarters to take him down. We believed Rey was powerful enough to do it, especially with the absence of Phasma, Ben, and Braedon. What we _didn’t_ know was that Snoke had found out the location of the current Resistance base. He pulled up live feed of his troops carpetbombing the face of the planet. It was devastated. Rey and I both felt it as everyone we cared about died.

“All that anger she’d been suppressing collided with the sudden loss and grief of the Resistance and she just… snapped. She lost herself, went berserk. She killed Snoke, but she was too far gone. In the moment her family died, Rey died with them. She became Vindicta in that instant. Poe and Leashai and I tried to get her to come back, but it was too late. She said if we wouldn’t stay with her and take control, she would let us go because she’d loved us, but it was the only chance we got. So the three of us left.

“Vindicta started reforming the First Order. Remolding it. She was a lot more powerful than Snoke was, a lot more effective. She took over the Republic and it became classified as the New Republic Order. Lady Vindicta denied the name of empress. She didn’t need it. Everyone knew her power was absolute. In the meantime, Leashai, Poe, and I started rebuilding the Resistance. Ben and Braedon joined us. I still thought that there was something of Rey left in Vindicta. I could feel her anger and her rage, but I couldn’t believe that she was completely gone. Leashai didn’t think so. She was sure Rey was gone. She’d spent more time with Snoke. She knew what the madness of the Dark Side looked like.

“Poe, Leashai and I went on a mission to confront her. I didn’t want to kill her yet. I thought she could still be talked around. Poe and Leashai especially were more prepared for the alternative. Vindicta used illusions. Made us see things that separated us. She let Poe and I stay together. Leashai she sent into the bowels of her citadel. She thought Leashai to be less of a threat than the two of us. 

“I begged Vindicta to come back. I said I knew Rey had to be in her somewhere. She lifted me and started to choke me. Poe took a shot at her. She released me and…”

Rebirth trails off. Phasma squeezes his shoulder. He swallows and continues.

“She cut down Poe with her lightsaber. Like he was nothing. I fought her then. She almost killed me. If it weren’t for Leashai, who’d found her way to a ship and took me when Vindicta left me for dead, I wouldn’t have survived. Leashai took me to a planet far away from the Resistance base, nursed me back to health. We returned to the base. Ben and Braedon had been leading admirably in our absence. I became Rebirth. My stance became harder. Anything necessary to take Vindicta down must be accomplished. She’s too dangerous. Too ruthless.”

Rebirth pauses. He releases Phasma’s hand and meets Luke’s eyes. Luke’s gone a curious ashy color.

“You can’t tell her to bury these feelings. Love and acceptance are part of us, but so is anger and bitterness. If you tell her to push it away, it’s just going to fester. She’ll suffer.”

Luke nods slowly. “I see.”

Rebirth looks at Rey. She’s started crying silently, tears dripping off her chin. “I’m so sorry you had to hear that.”

She shakes her head quickly. “Don’t be.” She wipes her eyes. “I needed to know that.”

Everyone is silent in the wake of Rebirth’s story until something on his belt beeps. Rebirth looks down in shock.

“That’s your communicator,” Phasma says. Rebirth pulls it out and hits a button on it. There’s a brief rush of static.

“This is Rebirth, come in.”

Another rush of static.

“Dammit, Rebirth, where the hell have you been?”

The voice is instantly recognizable to everyone in the room. It’s a little kinder, a little more congenial, but still Ben Solo.

Rebirth grins. “You know me, Ben. Shirking my responsibilities, living the high life.”

“Typical. All the higher ups get a vacation.”

“Where are you?”

“We’re at a planet not too far from Erevean. Braedon and I have been busy trying to rig the communicator, we’ve used crystals and Force sensitive artifacts and anything we could get our hands on.”

Rebirth frowns. “I’d hope you didn’t destroy any of those artifacts.”

“No.” Ben sounds slightly sullen. Finn doesn’t miss the slight slant to the General’s lips that it causes, or the glimmer of tears in her eyes. “I wanted to apply the ‘big rock meets smaller object’ theory but Braedon wouldn’t let me. How about you? Where did you end up?”

“Further proof that Braedon is the smart one. We slipped into another universe.”

“Yeah? What’s that like?”

“Oh, you know. Sky is bluer, grass is greener.”

“Leashai there?”

“If you’ve taken my room over in my absence with your clothes and your nonsense,” Phasma says, stepping closer to the communicator. “I will burn every one of your books.”

“Joke’s on you, lady. All my books are Braedon’s books and you’re smarter than to fuck with his reading material.” Finn can hear the grin in his voice. “So how do we get you back?”

“We’re coming back to the Ereavan system. Hopefully we can meet you, I’m assuming the walls are just as thin here as they are there. I’ll contact you as soon as we arrive.”

“Ten-four, Rebirth.”

“Be well, Ben.”

Rebirth clicks the communicator off. There’s quiet again.

“I’m sorry,” Rey blurts out. “I’m sorry that all that happened. And that I did that.”

“ _No_.” Rebirth looks just as fierce as Finn feels at Rey’s apology. “You didn’t do it, Rey. She did. This is _her_ fault. Vindicta’s.”

“But I’m-“

“A different Rey. Who’s experienced different losses and different sensations because of it. You’re this Rey. Not that one. Don’t carry the weight of a whole different universe of bloodshed you didn’t have anything to do with creating.” Rebirth clears his throat. “So, uh. Shall we go?”

 

Almost all of them go, in the end, leaving Chewbacca in charge. The ride in the shuttle is quiet, Rey piloting. Rebirth is asleep, snoring slightly on the floor. General Organa and Luke are talking in hushed voices. Poe’s awake, but he’s leaning his head into Finn’s shoulder with his eyes closed. Finn has an arm absently thrown around his shoulders when Phasma approaches him.

“I need a favor to ask of you,” she says, crouching down slightly so she’s level with the sitting Finn. Finn raises his eyebrows in response. Poe cracks an eye open.

“I don’t expect you to welcome me as a friend. You and I have been through too much to do that right off. But don’t treat me as a combatant when I come to you.”

“How do you even know that this universe’s you will come to the Resistance?”

She tilts her head. “Have you heard yet what the First Order has done to our old squadron? We heard of it in some shelters after we arrived, so it’s certainly happened here.”

“No.”

“Executed. Every last stormtrooper I used to command and you used to fight beside.”

Finn feels a little sick. Poe presses the side of his head into Finn’s shoulder a little harder, like he’s trying to impart affection through slightly more insistent contact. Finn can see the anger in his chest reflected in Phasma’s face.

“Right now, I’m going to be angry about it. Not because I know it’s wrong for moral reasons, not yet, although I’m starting to suspect it. I just keep thinking _what a waste_. And it bothers me. Very much. So much I can’t leave it alone.” She clenches her jaw slightly. “I’m going to come to you. And when I do, I’m going to want to kill every last high ranking member of the First Order there is, ending with Snoke.”

Finn nods slowly. “I won’t treat you as my enemy.”

Phasma smiles serenely. Her face is so calm and strangely natural. “That’s all I ask.”

“We’re here,” Rey calls from the cockpit, landing the ship. Phasma goes to Rebirth and nudges his side lightly with her foot.

“Get up, lazy.”

“Oh, hell,” Rebirth mumbles. “Five more minutes.”

“You get nothing. Call Ben and Braedon.”

Rebirth groans, but stands and gropes for his communicator, punching in a code. “Rampage and Resurrection, this is Rebirth, what’s your status?”

“We’re on your twice cursed swamp planet and I abhor it.” Hux’s tone is snappish and Finn feels an odd surge of relief- at least some things never change. “I would like to be off here as soon as possible.”

Rebirth grins. “Noted, Rampage. We’re leaving the ship now.”

“What’s your codename?” Finn asks as they walk down the ramp onto the marshy ground of Erevean. Phasma flashes a shark’s smile at him.

“Riot.”

Somehow, that fails to surprise Finn.

“We found the damned tree arch you talked about. Are you there yet?”

They’re standing in front of a gigantic tree split into two, the twining sides of either trunk forming what looks almost like an arched doorway. Finn can only see swampland on the other side, like the rest of what surrounds them. “Ask nicely.”

“I’m going to strangle you _very slowly_ , Rebirth.”

Rebirth snorts. “Walk through the arch. I suspect I’ll be here.”

“Very well.”

The figure that strides through the arch from thin air is dressed very nearly as Finn remembers him from his First Order days. His waist length black coat is buttoned across his chest pristinely, collar high and gloves neatly moving up under his sleeves. His red hair isn’t as tight to his head as it used to be, a little more disheveled. Braedon Hux looks thinner and a little more tired, but still as determinedly put together as ever. His gaze sweeps the assembled party, resting on Phasma and Rebirth.

“This is the part where I enquire as to whether or not you’re being held here against your will,” Hux says imperially. Finn’s gut reaction is a desire to smack him for it.

“Please.” Phasma sounds bored. “I could take them.”

Rebirth rolls his eyes. “Like hell you could.”

Hux’s lips twitch. “Proof enough.” He raises his communicator. “Resurrection, you’re cleared.”

The figure that appears next staggers, knees buckling. Hux moves quickly, supporting him. “Easy, easy. What’s wrong?”

“It’s the Force here.” Rebirth steps forwards a little. “It’s not so overwhelmingly dark on this side as we’ve grown used to in our home. I almost threw up when I arrived.”

“I won’t throw up.” The words are spoken through what sounds like a clamped jaw into Hux’s shoulder. “I’m fine. I’m _fine_ , Braedon. It’s okay.”

Hux releases him and the man straightens. His dark curly hair is pulled away from his face slightly with two braids on each side of his scarred face. His clothes are a little simpler than Hux’s, gray fabric that shines slightly with a coat made of the same material. He blinks and shakes his head a little. 

“Damn. That’s one hell of a head rush,” Ben Solo mutters. He gazes at the assembled party and freezes when he sees one person in particular who has a hand pressed over her mouth. “Mom.”

He walks towards her on shaky legs, stopping directly in front of her and staring down at her. Rey looks wary. Poe looks ready to fight. Finn can’t help the wash of unease.

Ben sinks to his knees. “I am,” he whispers, head bowed. “ _So_ sorry, Mom. I never got to say it when you were alive. But I am. I’m so sorry.”

Leia kneels before her son and pulls him into a hug. “I forgive you,” she whispers. 

The rest turn away awkwardly from the two, Rebirth approaching Hux. 

“Have you enjoyed your time off, traitor?” Hux asks in a bored tone. Rey and Poe tense but Rebirth responds with a smile.

“Greatly,” he answers airily. “Did you enjoy your time in charge, despot?”

“Tremendously.” Hux pulls Rebirth into a one armed hug. “I am, however, delighted to return the responsibility.” He nods at Phasma. “Leashai.”

“Braedon. If any of my weapons are missing, I will skin you.” Her eyes dance even as her face is menacing.

“I anticipated as much.” 

Ben sniffles, helping his mother to his feet. “Hello, Rebirth.”

“Still had time to do your hair in your frantic search for me, I see.”

Ben looks vaguely offended. “I didn’t even do it fancy.” He sees Luke and swallows. “Hello, sir.”

Luke smiles reassuringly. “Hello, Ben.”

Finn doesn’t know what passes between them, clearly intended to be private. But whatever it is makes hope spark in Ben’s face and makes him stand a little straighter. He turns next to Rey and Poe and clears his throat. “I don’t anticipate that you’ll forgive me. But I did want you to know that I’m sorry for everything that’s transpired.”

Poe eyes him warily. “Thanks.”

Rey says nothing, but narrows her eyes slightly. Ben looks unsurprised and turns to Phasma. “You could have used some hair maintenance yourself.”

“Hair maintenance is overrated.”

Rebirth looks the most natural Finn’s seen him yet. Like he’s surrounded by family. He turns to the group assembled. “We’d better-“

The arch sparks slightly. Everyone starts. Hux pulls Ben back from it and Phasma throws an arm out in front of them.

The person is wearing a dark coat fastened around the middle lightly with a wide black belt. They straighten, raise their head and lower their hood.

The woman’s hair has been yanked back severely from her hair and is held almost in a column by a length of wire, leaving the rest of her hair to cascade behind her like a waterfall. Her black gloves are clenched around a slightly curved lightsaber hilt and her black shirt has an array of dark jewels on the front. She looks just like Rey physically, but Finn knows instantly it isn’t her from the cloud she carries around her, even if it hadn’t been for her yellow eyes.

Because of the malevolence she bears with her, it can only be Vindicta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hux's outfit: http://40.media.tumblr.com/382bbcf1e9c30abbd03a364977a97cd8/tumblr_nz88zxdq9E1un9u1mo1_500.jpg
> 
> Ben's hair (same style, just shorter): http://40.media.tumblr.com/2eee05ec3583d961240580d279a71bfa/tumblr_ng7uj9R9HX1r5ynioo1_r1_400.png
> 
> Ben's outfit (minus sunglasses): http://41.media.tumblr.com/393335494160bbe5fc26c1844c86cf04/tumblr_o3ykt5NK9E1un9u1mo1_500.jpg
> 
> Vindicta's coat: http://41.media.tumblr.com/3a000a925be01b8d0968fe2e4657dfac/tumblr_nch8rzbmnV1saix4yo3_500.jpg
> 
> Vindicta's outfit: http://40.media.tumblr.com/7483946b3e65b860727d95bcdb72f37f/tumblr_ns650lwOtu1un9u1mo1_500.jpg
> 
> Vindicta's hair: http://40.media.tumblr.com/fb6472d4dadcd24087abf70407e86aea/tumblr_nphkvoP9pE1un9u1mo1_500.jpg


	6. Endings and Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Situations are resolved, and loose ends tied up.

“What a surprise.” Vindicta’s voice is almost exactly like Rey’s, but not quite. The best way Finn can think to describe the tone dripping with condescension and coldness is that it echoes slightly. “I come to dispose of traitors to the Republic and find ghosts instead.”

“Your Republic is no Republic,” Rebirth growls. “Your Republic is _tyranny._ ”

Vindicta tilts her head. “So say all defectors and conspirators.” Vindicta sweeps her eyes over the assembled crowd. Her face contorts into a vicious smirk. “The gang’s all here. Minus Solo, of course.”

“Han’s dead.” General Organa’s voice is steady and unwavering, and Finn feels a rush of affection for her. “Kylo Ren killed him on the Finalizer.”

Ben twitches. Vindicta raises her eyebrows.

“A whole new universe. How… intriguing.” 

“You don’t get to take here, either.” Even at the height of Hux’s anger, Finn has never heard his voice so full of frigid fury. “This galaxy is not yours to take.”

Vindicta ignites her red lightsaber. “We’ll see.”

Hux immediately withdraws two daggers. Ben pulls out a purple lightsaber. Rebirth, Luke, and Rey ignite theirs. Phasma pulls something from her belt that, when she flicks out her wrist, snaps into a sword with lightsaber energy humming at the edges. Leia, to Finn’s surprise, pulls out a lightsaber hilt and lights it, glowing gold.

“Finn,” Rebirth says, deceptively calm. “You and Poe get to the _Falcon_. You two get back to the Resistance. Pack up location in case she pulls it from our heads and get out of here.”

“Absolutely n-“ Poe starts.

“Fine,” Finn says instantly, cutting Poe off. “Come on.”

“Go ahead and run.” Vindicta’s eyes are on her opponents. “I’ll find you eventually.”

Finn practically drags Poe off, yanking him through the twisting swamp trees, splashing through the muck.

“Are we _actually_ going to leave them?” Poe demands.

“Kriff no.” Finn jumps over a fallen log, Poe stumbling slightly in his wake. He quickly catches back up to Finn. “We’re going to let them think we are and then get in a good shot at Vindicta with the shuttle. Element of surprise.”

Poe gapes at Finn. “Damn, I love you.”

Finn allows Poe a fleeting smile. “I know.”

They hop in the shuttle, Finn moving to the gunnery while Poe takes off. They approach the fight, nothing Finn can see but twirling lightsaber blades and intricate dances.

“Do you have a clear shot?” Poe yells. Finn tightens his grip on the trigger and fires. Vindicta whips around just in time to miss it and Finn curses. Vindicta raises a hand and brings it down into a closed fist, fast as a whip. 

“I’ve lost control!” Poe yells as the ship veers sharply. “Brace for impact!”

The ship slams into the ground. It’s a hard landing, but Finn feels relatively unharmed, just bruised. He grabs his blaster and dodges up to the fray. Luke reaches out and shoves Vindicta with the Force, causing her to spin around right into the front of Finn’s blaster. It’s like time freezes for a moment. Vindicta stares at Finn with wide eyes, suddenly Rey’s normal hazel.

“Finn,” she whispers. “You wouldn’t kill me, would you? You can’t.”

Finn swallows. “No. I can’t. You’re still too much Rey to me.” He steps back. “But not to him.”

Vindicta only has time for her eyes to turn back to gold before Rebirth stabs her from behind through the chest.

“For the Resistance,” Rebirth whispers as he withdraws his saber. “For Poe.”

Vindicta goes to her knees as Poe limps out of the wreckage of the ship. She falls over, light in her yellow eyes gone. 

Rebirth falls to his knees too, slowly crumbling until he is lying on the ground. Phasma kneels by him, wrapping an arm around to prop him up as he cries. 

“It’s all right,” she whispers. “It’s okay, Finn. It’s over.”

Ben hunkers down next to them. Hux sits next to him and Ben leans on him. The rest are silent, leaving them their moment.

 

“We’ve still got a lot of work to do,” Rebirth tells them. Luke’s wrapped Vindicta’s corpse in a blanket and Phasma picks it up, carrying it in her arms. General Organa has called for another shuttle, which should be at Ereavan shortly. “We have to dismantle the New Republic Order. We’ve got a long way to go yet.”

“I have faith in your ability to do it,” Luke says seriously. Rebirth doesn’t smile (Finn wonders if he’ll ever smile again) but he looks grateful for the support.

“Thank you.”

“Mom,” Ben says in a low voice. He’s been hovering by Hux, looking often at his mother. “If that’s true. If he succeeded in killing Dad. Then he’s further adrift than I was at this point.” Ben meets General Organa’s eyes. “Don’t hold your breath expecting him to come back.”

“I won’t.” General Organa’s face is calm. “But I won’t lose all hope, either.”

Ben smiles, a very small expression, before he nudges Hux with his shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get off this planet you so adore.”

“ _Ugh_. Don’t joke.” Hux turns and exits through the arch. Finn isn’t surprised at his lack of farewell. It’s not his style. Ben follows him, pausing at the doorway to give an awkward little wave before stepping through. Phasma hefts the body in her arms and nods at Finn. 

“Remember what I asked of you.”

“I will.”

She looks close to fond. “You’re a good man, Finn. Don’t forget.”

“I won’t.” Finn grins slightly. “Captain.”

“Did that hurt?”

“A little.”

She shakes her head as she walks through the arch.

“Thank you,” Rebirth says, looking tired and old. “For all of your help. All of you.”

Rey walks up to Rebirth. He bends slightly and she kisses him on the forehead. “May the Force be with you, Finn.”

Rebirth does smile then. “And with you, Rey.”

He walks backwards, gazing at Rey the whole time. And then he is gone.

They stand there for a moment, assembled in silence. Then they walk back to where the shuttle will land, Rey leaning on Luke who has an arm holding her close, Poe’s hand interlocked with Finn’s, General Organa leading them all with head held high.

 

They’re back for less than a week when, while Finn and Poe are sparring, news of an unauthorized shuttle in their airspace spreads. Finn and Poe run to the airstrip where the tiny, rusty craft is landing. General Organa, Luke, and Rey are already there. 

“Who is it? Why are we letting them land?” Poe asks, slightly out of breath. General Organa’s face is odd. 

“It’s someone Finn knows.”

Finn’s stomach lurches with the realization.

The door to the craft opens. When Phasma steps out, she is in loose and tattered black clothing. Her cape is all that remains of her former dignity as a captain, her short cropped hair mussed and a small bruise on her right cheek. She walks up to Finn, face stiff.

“I wish,” she says, voice stilted. “To offer my services to your organization.”

Finn can feel the eyes of everyone on them. He ignores them. Instead he doesn’t quite smile, but lets the warmth in his face shine through, and holds out his hand.

“Hello, Leashai,” he says serenely. “My name’s Finn. Welcome to the Resistance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, each and every one of you, for your comments, kudoses, and subscriptions. This story festered for a while in my brain and took a long time to get out, but your kindnesses are more than worth it.


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